I Heart New York

There is something about New York that I can’t quite put my finger on, yes it is but another crazily busy and obscenely expensive, consumer led city but out of all the places and not just cities we have visited, absolutely nothing beats the excitement of getting on the plane and flying to New York City. It may be a personal feeling, it was the first long haul place I visited with my family back in 1999. I remember so vividly how excited us four all were when we boarded the Virgin Atlantic flight. It may also be as the majority of my favourite movies whilst growing up (and still now shh!) were based in New York: Splash, Coming to America, Home Alone 2, Working Girl, the list is endless, all transported me through the medium of film to the bright lights, big city, sky scrapers, yellow cabs, and the manic and unattainable lives of really exciting people. At the time the city felt a world away and simultaneously a rather special place. Then of course Sex and The City, really was the cherry on top, who did not want to be Carrie Bradshaw living in a Brownstone, drinking cocktails and wearing Manolo Blahnik ? So when we decided we would return to together seventeen years later, the excitement was yet again immeasurable and and I could not wait to board the Virgin Atlantic plane and cross the pond……..

We travelled at the end of March (yes a delayed post) and arrived to snow falling, jumping in the yellow cab and taking in that first brilliant view of the famous skyline was just a HUGE WOW! We were headed to Greenwich Village, after coming across The Marlton Hotel in Conde Nast Magazine, described as ‘Boutique’ and ‘Affordable’ two words I like, as well as being situated in the Village. The Marlton Hotel sits on 5th West and 8th Street dates back to the 1900‘s. Once a place for bohemian writers and artists, Jack Kerouac penned the “The Subterraneans” here, and is still a space for writers and creatives, who quietly do their thing in the lounge, complete with Expresso bar. Today the interiors are swanky, a little bit retro and beautifully quirky, an almost Parisian feel in the heart of Greenwich Village. We stayed in a Petit Full room, narrow hallways and a spiral staircase lead you there. The room was filled with comfy cushions and faux fur throws, black and white tiled floors, with the hint toward Paris echoed in the lamps and brass fixtures. The compact marble bathroom, with gold taps and fluffy robes completed this small but perfectly snug room.

To clink, clink our arrival we headed to the Cocktail bar for one, before our jet lag heads hit the most comfortable, crisp white pillows, excited for the day ahead. We were back in New York, we were happy! Eager to live, breathe, and explore the next four days.

The list we had of to do’s in four days was overwhelming, everyone has a favourite and must see thing to do in New York and sometimes I admit I seek the most perfect time and want to tick box. And really where is real fun and happiness in ticking boxes? Let’s go here, as this blogger said this and my friend did this and such and such who lives here said don’t go there……The trick is to find New York for yourselves, for the majority we absolutely achieved this but I do admit perhaps a couple of times I did chase the ‘what you feel like you should be doing’ rather than ‘not what you secretly would rather do’ So I write this post not as a must do in New York, but just to share our time and photographs, which please do take or leave…..

We woke up to the sun melting the remains of the snow, and made our way for breakfast, which we decided to have in the hotel, one, because the restaurant was a beautiful setting, which served the best coffee and also as I was taking class at The Movement Research Centre, and wanted something quick and easy. Walking across Union Square, we totally emerged into the city morning, feeling as if we were having a ‘New York Minute’ of what it could be like to live here… Wes left me at my class to explore the city and we met just in time for a late brunch at Jack’s Wife Frieda, catching up on our mornings and fuelling up on the most delicious coffee, eggs and avocado before walking the much anticipated High Line…

The High Line runs from the Meatpacking District through to Chelsea along a part of the disused railway. I felt the 1.45 miles long walk was a great way to see so much more of the city and from a cooler angle, peeping in at the city if you will. The commissioned art work that pops up along the line, and botanical garden add to this reclaimed walk of history. With the New Yorker high rise as our signal to lead us back into the city, stopping for coffee for me and Dunkin’ Donuts for Wes, (classy) before collapsing back at the hotel.

We jumped in a cab to for pre dinner cocktails at The Standard, I was super excited about this as the views of the city at night were to be insanely amazing and I was ready for a cocktail ( my inner Carrie had kicked in) but to no avail it was closed for a private gathering…..So at a loss we walked back through Greenwich and I admit I was in a little disappointed as things hadn’t quite gone to plan,…a moment of jet lag, my vision and hunger can sometimes dramatise these moments. Wes slightly fuming from the ears, patience running thin and in need of a beer, rose above this ‘perfection gone wrong’ and decided the best thing would be to loose the ‘tick list’ and find our own fun, eventually persuaded we backtracked to The Village only to find the perfect spot, Cafe Cluny, you saved the evening. We sat in the corner, a glass of Prosecco was brought to me and we devoured Steak- Fritte and chocolate profiteroles, feeling a little smug, that we had found this place by accident, also feeling a little embarrassed about my ridiculous behaviour- jet lag honest!

From this point on I decided to trust my travel companion and went with the flow, we ended up at Perla Cafe, we sat at the bar drinking cocktails and talking through the next day’s plans, promising to be a little more spontaneous in this ‘Bright Lights, Big City’……So once again a reminder that it’s okay to get lost sometimes and the imperfections of the night can lead to a perfect New York night and finally to just trust the guy you came with!